07-15-2026
One of the highlights of my summer is welcoming colleagues, practitioners and policymakers to the Brookings Municipal Finance Conference. As one of the founders and conference chairs of this year’s 15th annual conference, it is especially rewarding to see how an idea that began as a way to connect researchers with practitioners has grown into one of the leading forums for advancing municipal finance research and public policy.
This year’s conference promises another outstanding exchange of ideas. I’ll be wearing several hats — as a conference chair, presenter and moderator — which gives me the opportunity to engage with the conference from multiple perspectives. I’m particularly looking forward to moderating a panel on housing affordability, one of the defining economic challenges facing communities across the country.
The discussion brings together Purdue Professor of Economics Michael Eriksen, director of our school’s Dean V. White Real Estate Finance Program, and Associate Professor of Economics Aaron Hedlund, on leave from Purdue to serve as Chief Economist at the Council of Economic Advisers. Their combination of academic expertise and policy experience should make for an engaging and insightful conversation.
I’m also excited to present my own research examining how municipal bonds move from institutional investors to individual investors and what that transition means for pricing and market efficiency. In addition, the Daniels School’s Bob & Sharon Schafer Chair in Finance Huseyin Gulen will present research exploring how common ownership by mutual funds influences the municipal bond market, highlighted in a recent blog post. Seeing the breadth and quality of research coming from Purdue is something I take great pride in.
For attendees, the value of the conference extends well beyond any single presentation. It is an opportunity to hear cutting-edge research before it appears in journals, engage directly with leading scholars and market participants, and explore solutions to the complex challenges facing state and local governments. Those conversations often spark new collaborations, fresh ideas and practical insights that continue long after the conference concludes.
After 15 years, that’s still what I enjoy most: bringing together people with different perspectives who share a common goal of improving public finance through thoughtful research and meaningful dialogue.
The 2026 Municipal Finance Conference is in person in Washington, D.C., Tuesday, July 21 and Wednesday, July 22. There is a livestream option for remote viewers.
Rich Ryffel is Special Advisor to the Dean at the Mitch Daniels School of Business and a Professor of Practice in the Finance Department. Prior to joining Purdue, he was a Professor of Finance Practice at Washington University in St. Louis. While in industry, Rich advised colleges and universities, hospitals, cities, states, airports, school districts, and corporations on financing and capital structure, and led hundreds of financings in both the taxable and tax-exempt markets. He previously worked at A.G. Edwards (now Wells Fargo Advisors), Bank of America, Edward Jones and J.P. Morgan.
